The Greensboro City Council has found a unique way around the North Carolina Open Meetings Law.
It doesn’t meet, but it takes action as if it did.
On Monday, Feb. 12, North Carolina Superior Court Judge Stuart Albright heard a request from the Greensboro City Council to allow city councilmembers to view the police body-worn camera (BWC) videos from the domestic violence incident at the home of City Manager Tai Jaiyeoba on Dec 28, 2023, and the subsequent police calls related to that incident.
That request from the City Council was granted by Albright.
But the Greensboro City Council never made a request to view the police body-worn camera videos and not all city councilmembers were even aware that a request to view the body-worn camera videos was being made in the name of the City Council.
The City Council is legally a corporate entity that can only act by majority vote at an official meeting open to the public. The City Council held no such meeting and took no vote on requesting the BWC videos be released. The public couldn’t attend the meeting on requesting the BWC videos, because there was no meeting to attend.
When asked about when the City Council meeting to discuss requesting a release of the BWC videos was held and what the vote was on that motion, City Attorney Chuck Watts confirmed, “No meeting. No Vote.”
Watts said, “I have the authority to take action based on the assumption of what they want. If I have confidence that I know what they want me to do, then I do it.”
So the action taken in the name of the City Council was not requested or approved by the City Council.
The “complaint” filed with Superior Court states, “Now Comes the City Council of Greensboro (hereinafter ‘City Council’), by and through undersigned counsel, and hereby institutes this action seeking a court order allowing the limited release of a custodial law enforcement agency recording pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 132-1.4A(g). In support hereof, the City Council offers the following:”
The final paragraph begins, “Wherefore, the City Council of Greensboro respectfully requests that this Honorable Court issue and order …”
It is signed by “Nancy Vaughan, Mayor of Greensboro” and “Chuck Watts, City Attorney.”
But the City Council didn’t respectfully request anything from the court because the City Council never took any action at all about the release of the body-worn camera videos. Vaughan is the mayor but she only has one vote on the City Council.
Anyone can make a request that BWC videos be released. Watts could have made the request as the Greensboro city attorney, but that is not how the request was made.
So how can the court grant a request to the Greensboro City Council that the City Council didn’t make?
Chuck Watts is smug about his actions. He thinks that he and Vaughn have pulled a fast one. That’s how City Council operates. Damn the law, full speed ahead. That’s how GCC operates.
SSDD, nothing to see here, no need for concern, the Queen and her minion will speak for all good citizens of Greensboro; Your City Manager’s actions, outside of the office, are of no interest to anyone. (But the City Council wants to see the video (s) anyway.
We’re changing the name of ALL Citizens of Greensboro to MUSHROOMS!
Greensboro living up to its name “Gate City”.
The list keeps growing…
Where do we live? Russia, China? Cuba? This is the most unlawful demonstration for a City Council, Mayor, etc. to do. We have the lawful right to see what they are hiding. If they had nothing to hid, this would not be happening. People need to go to jail for this.
Just another case of different rules for different folks. Domestic violence, being the #1 call-out for GPD, AUTOMATICALLY results in arrest according to law. Over the past few years, with the deteriorating social scene, it is now ignored sometimes when the perp is of certain persuasion. In this case, add the perp being a knight among the lord’s of Greensboro city government and the rulers are determined to sweep it away with ALL the nobles transgressions.
Get rid of all of them!
I’m just thankful that John Hammer is around and looking after the citizens of Greensboro. Something smells very wrong about all of this and I hope John stays on the scent.
Weeeeelll, sir, if I may… is this the same city attorney that categorically denied that a contract to purchase the Greensboro Gun Show did exist, only to find out later (after i filed a lawsuit), that , not only the document did exist but that the city attorney, Chucky Watts, himself, authored the document and signed it!
He emboldens the council in ways that are totally unethical even border-lining” the legal”.
Thank you for confirmation that the City Attorney is a liar.
And these idiots on the Greensboro City Council voted themselves a nice raise, as well as one even more handsome for City Attorney Chuck Watts and Greensboro City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba! Once again “Nancy and Taiwo Need To Go!” In fact our whole City Council and the leaders of our Greensboro City Departments need to go! Greensboro has become an absolute disgrace to our City, State, and Nation! It’s time for some house cleaning.
Jim Donaldson
Typical chicken poop…no surprises here. Hope the citizens are pleased with these fools because they certainly are being played. Use your vote wisely.
“So how can the court grant a request to the Greensboro City Council that the City Council didn’t make?”
Come on John. We’re talking about the Greensboro City Council, aka The People’s Council.
This chicanery with the city council needs to stop. This bunch continues to lose more credibility the more they delve into this situation with Jaiyeoba. It is more and more apparent that the public will never know what happened during this domestic violence event and will never know whether or not criminal charges were warranted. However, the public does have a right to know.
They do it because they can. So, whatta you gonna do about it?
Doesn’t matter to the Socialist party what’s right, it’s called BAMN.
Citizens of Geekboro take note. . . .tyrants are afraid of the public knowing things, and they believe they are the elected “rulers” of things. See how this works? Remember this in election season.
Sounds to me like it is the perfect time for a leak to the press…..
What’s everyone upset about. The city council just gave all of us a free pass on domestic violence issues. If you have an issue and the Police are called just tell them you want no arrests no matter the injuries and you want a handwritten report no computer copies. Just tell the it’s a private matter that the city council says so and it’s OK. Let’s see how this works out. After all queen nancy had under age drinking at her daughters party and that all went away Just tell the Police that you want Chief Thompson called and let them talk to him
The fox is indeed in charge of the hen house these days
How do the citizens here file a complaint to the NC br about city attorney being so far away from ethical behavior. No rules for meetings, no meetings at all, and his misleading or false filing of court documents. An that is the tip of these shenanigans.
Instead of hiring a fine qualified decent human being from Greensboro and Guilford County the City Council went to Charlotte and hired a looser who was being fired. It is hard to believe that they can’t or will not do better than that. There are many wonderful and qualified educated persons right here in our town. Let us all work together to make Greensboro a wonderful town for ALL of OUT citizens who will be proud to live in Greensboro NC.